Sony's new PS3 Slim (pictured on the right) will feature a new 45 nm Cell processor that should use less power, run cooler, and be cheaper to make. (Source: Aurum3Newtech)

GPU on Sony PS3 Slim may stay the same

Sony on Tuesday announced that it was upping the ante in the
next-generation console war, unleashing the slender PS3
slim. Eschewing the original PS3's bulbous design, the new
console reportedly will drop Linux support and also won't support PS2
games. The console does bring a greater capacity 120 GB drive
onboard, though, a step up from the 80 GB drive in its predecessor
(low-end version).

Now another perk of the new console has
emerged -- an improved CPU. According to a video posted on
Sony's U.S. website, the new console will feature a 45
nm updated version of the Cell processor based on IBM's Power
architecture, jointly developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba. The
new processor will be cooler and use less power, and is also cheaper
to make than the 65 nm processor found in the old PS3.

Sony's
primary high-graphics competitor, Microsoft, still uses 65 nm GPUs.
Heat has proven to be a major concern for the next generation
consoles -- Microsoft started on a 90 nm process and suffered from
many console failures due to the larger chip's heat.

Sony is
very pleased with their new processor. States President and CEO
Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, "We're
extremely pleased that we've been able to meet production
efficiencies that have allowed us pass those savings on to
customers."

The GPU on the PS3 has not been officially
announced, except for that it will be made by NVIDIA. For the
sake of compatibility, it will likely be similar or identical to the
RSX GPU in the current PS3.

The new console will launch on
September 1 in the U.S. and will retail for $299.

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